![“I wasn't discouraged by some of the obstacles we faced. I learned a lot from the leadership. I found that different people need different ways of receiving feedback — you can't [just] tell them to do something and expect the best. [Some] people needed more incentive. A large part of my role was to figure out what worked for everyone and to figure out how to lead all these separate individuals as a team,” Suhana Bhandare (’26) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/SuhanaBhandare_JasmineHansra-1-1200x798.jpg)
![“This is actually from Randy Pausch Randy P. Brick: ‘Walls are there for a reason. You have to show how much you want to overcome them.’ You have to show how much you want something. That's what I've always been able to do with tennis, Link Crew and getting that internship [with Kushy Baby]. It’s important pushing through that — getting around that brick wall, climbing over it or clawing through it,” Yash Sachdeva (’26) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/YashSachdeva_RamBatchu-copy-1200x1002.jpg)
![“[Building nerf blasters] became this outlet of creativity for me that hasn't been matched by anything else. The process [of] making a build complete to your desire is such a painstakingly difficult process, but I've had to learn from [the skills needed from] soldering to proper painting. There's so many different options for everything, if you think about it, it exists. The best part is [that] if it doesn't exist, you can build it yourself," Ishaan Parate said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/DSC_8149-900x604.jpg)
![“When I came into high school, I was ready to be a follower. But DECA was a game changer for me. It helped me overcome my fear of public speaking, and it's played such a major role in who I've become today. To be able to successfully lead a chapter of 150 students, an officer team and be one of the upperclassmen I once really admired is something I'm [really] proud of,” Anvitha Tummala ('21) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Screen-Shot-2021-07-25-at-9.50.05-AM-900x594.png)
![“I think getting up in the morning and having a sense of purpose [is exciting]. I think without a certain amount of drive, life is kind of obsolete and mundane, and I think having that every single day is what makes each day unique and kind of makes life exciting,” Neymika Jain (12) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Screen-Shot-2017-06-03-at-4.54.16-PM.png)
![“My slogan is ‘slow feet, don’t eat, and I’m hungry.’ You need to run fast to get where you are–you aren't going to get those championships if you aren't fast,” Angel Cervantes (12) said. “I want to do well in school on my tests and in track and win championships for my team. I live by that, [and] I can do that anywhere: in the classroom or on the field.”](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/DSC5146-900x601.jpg)
![“[Volleyball has] taught me how to fall correctly, and another thing it taught is that you don’t have to be the best at something to be good at it. If you just hit the ball in a smart way, then it still scores points and you’re good at it. You could be a background player and still make a much bigger impact on the team than you would think,” Anya Gert (’20) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/AnnaGert_JinTuan_HoHPhotoEdited-600x900.jpeg)
![“I'm not nearly there yet, but [my confidence has] definitely been getting better since I was pretty shy and timid coming into Harker my freshman year. I know that there's a lot of people that are really confident in what they do, and I really admire them. Everyone's so driven and that has really pushed me to kind of try to find my own place in high school and be more confident,” Alyssa Huang (’20) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/AlyssaHuang_EmilyChen_HoHPhoto-900x749.jpeg)
Girls volleyball promotes breast cancer awareness through Dig Pink fundraiser
The junior varsity girls volleyball team huddles during their game on Thursday. The varsity and junior varsity teams hosted their annual Dig Pink fundraiser to raise money for the Side Out Foundation, aimed to raise awareness for breast cancer.
October 18, 2022
The girls volleyball teams held their annual Dig Pink fundraiser on Thursday alongside its junior varsity and varsity volleyball games against Priory.
Admission to the games cost five dollars, and players sold baked goods, lanyards and stickers to raise money for the fundraiser during lunch and afterschool.
The fundraiser, held in support of the Side Out Foundation, aimed to raise awareness for breast cancer. The overall proceeds from the bake sales and ticket admissions raised more than $3000, which will go directly towards the foundation.
“I just love that It’s raising awareness for breast cancer for women,” fundraiser volunteer and lower school English teacher Elise Robichaud said. “I love that all of the proceeds from the admissions and from the bake sale is going to charity, and that it’s being supported by both men and women.”
Players wore pink attire during their matches, and the coaches also donned cancer awareness ribbons on their shirts. The junior varsity and varsity teams both won their matches against Priory and remained in the lead throughout their games, with the junior varsity team ending their last set 25-12, and the varsity team ending 25-10. Throughout the games, volunteers continued to collect donations and sell goods to those attending.
“I think [fundraising is] really a fun experience and you feel accomplished because you’re helping other people,” junior varsity volleyball team member Sophia Roufas (10) said. “All of the money we raise is for the breast cancer fundraiser, and we don’t keep any of it.”
Between the games, the main organizer of the fundraiser and varsity girls volleyball head coach, Theresa “Smitty” Smith, delivered a short speech, thanking the crowd for their support for the cause and acknowledging the various activities occurring throughout the afternoon.
“Thank you all for coming out to support this cause,” Smitty said in her speech. “We have a lot of fun things going on here — they’re selling food, we have a raffle and there’s a volleyball game down here, so thank you all for coming out.”
